American Music Awards: And the Nominees Are…

Oddly enough, Christina Aguilera (coach of NBC’s The Voice) joined producers of the American Music Awards (airing on ABC) to announce the nominations earlier today in Los Angeles. Aguilera is also the first performer announced for the 40th annual AMAs. Last years big winners, Taylor Swift and Adele, ended up with only one nomination each. Big time Idol success stories Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood nabbed two nominations each, while Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Usher, Chris Brown, One Direction and Maroon 5 snagged some nods their way. Minaj and Rihanna lead the nomination tally with 4 a piece. Newcomer Gotye got into the mix with a couple nominations. In addition to Artist of the Year, Justin Bieber snagged 2 more nominations in the Pop Album and Male Artist department.

The AMAs are determined through fan voting, which starts today. (Click here to cast your votes) Check out the full list of nominations below and let us know what you think!

The AMAs are set to air LIVE from Los Angeles on November 18th at 8/7c on ABC!

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Justin Bieber
Drake
Maroon 5
Katy Perry
Rihanna

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
J. Cole
fun.
Gotye
Carly Rae Jepsen
One Direction

J.D. Montgomery accidentally stumbled into the world of entertainment when he first joined the Yak’s team all the way from medical school on the isle of St. Maarten. Entertainment media is probably the last place you’d expect a 3rd year medical student to wind up in, but YakkityYaks is where he’s at. J.D. used his fast-paced learning style to quickly further himself as one of the Yak’s top entertainment contributors. While he has no background in the entertainment industry, he is an avid fan of television, movies, and music and his passion for the exciting world of entertainment translates into his wide array of reports. When J.D. is not writing, you can find him busy studying for his medical boards and wandering the halls of the hospital … not Grey’s Anatomy or House, MD style (fortunately or not). He also has a BS in Neuroscience and is always looking for ways to channel his medical background for the Yak. Too bad he’s not a vet.